In the aftermath of the disruption by Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters of a Southern Baptist worship service on Jan. 18, leaders in the Minnesota–Wisconsin Baptist Convention are asking for prayer and support for the ethnic churches in the two states.
Between 30–40 protesters interrupted the worship service of Cities Church in St. Paul to denounce the federal government’s immigration enforcement. One of the church’s staff pastors serves as a field office director for ICE.
The MWBC, headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, is comprised of 200 churches and about two-thirds of those are ethnic congregations, said Trey Turner, executive director of the MWBC.
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“There is some fear among our ethnic congregations,” Turner acknowledged. He noted that there are members and pastors of ethnic congregations who are working through the process of gaining citizenship or extending work visas.
Turner said the turmoil in the state has caused some Hispanic congregations to stop meeting. “They are feeling pressure of getting caught up in what’s happening in our state. … They don’t want to stick their heads up and draw attention to themselves and neither do other ethnic congregations such as the Hmong, Liberian and others. Everybody is feeling that kind of pressure.”
Regional impact
The impact is not confined simply to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area or for Hispanics, Turner said. He observed that people across Minnesota and in Wisconsin share those fears as well.
Turner shared the story of a non-Hispanic pastor who was detained by ICE on Jan. 20. Though he was going through proper channels, Turner said, the judge canceled his immigration meeting. ICE detained him and began the deportation process for missing that meeting. The rest of the family has been instructed to report for their deportation also, Turner said.
Fear within congregations
Chris Reinertson, senior pastor of Southtown Baptist Church in Bloomington and part-time director of missions for the Twin Cities Metro Baptist Association, is also among those helping the pastor and his family.
Both men asked for prayer for the pastor and his family who are still grieving the death of an adult son only three months ago.
Reinertson agreed with Turner that there is fear within some ethnic congregations in the community because there have been people taken and deported, but it has not happened in his congregation which includes members from 15 countries.
In both his church and the association, Reinertson has been encouraging the people to:
- Live without fear because the Prince of Peace lives in them.
- Pray for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Pray for all people in every category because God loves the world (John 3:16).
- Be good citizens and cooperate by having our documents (Rom. 13).
- Help each person in their specific circumstance because each situation is different.
Reinertson admits there is tension between John 3:16 and Romans 13 but says the two verses complement each other.
Turner acknowledged that the incident at Cities Church has created a demand for the convention to seek ways to help their ethnic congregations. “It’s time to show that we are united and that we have each other’s backs while expressing care for our ethnic churches,” he said.
Turner cited Emmanuel Baptist Church in Rochester as a congregation that is doing something tangible. Emmanuel has two ethnic congregations including a Hispanic congregation that has stopped meeting for now. Emmanuel members have collected a special offering and are taking an aggressive approach to take care of the pastors and their families along with members of the larger Hispanic congregation as their pastor reports needs.
Turner said the convention will encourage its churches “to provide pastoral care to our immigrant communities with much grace. The MWBC will help equip those churches providing that care where they need help.
“We remain committed to the sanctity of public worship times and will continue to advocate for the right of all congregations to meet in peace.”
The MWBC leader also asked Southern Baptists across the nation to pray for “peace within our communities and for the safety of every pastor and parishioner.”
Pray for pastors, churches
Reinertson reiterated the need for prayer for the churches and their members and also the pastors who are trying to help their congregants who are still working to secure their citizenship through the legal system.
He added that he welcomes pastors from across the country who would like to team up with an ethnic pastor in the city to provide encouragement and support.
Anyone interested can contact TCMBA.sbc@gmail.com.
